Why am I posting about Christmas early in November, before we've even celebrated Thanksgiving?My husband and I drove past our huge local shopping mall a couple of nights ago and could hardly believe our eyes: the shops and parking lot were all decked out for Christmas!It can be challenging to find ways to help children keep their focus on the birth of Christ during the annual "Countdown to Santa/Christmas Presents" that our frenzied culture of consumers gets so caught up in. Well, thank goodness for another kind of countdown: Advent, a time of joyous expectation.Advent means "coming" or "arrival", referring to the coming of the Christ Child as Messiah. It is a time of waiting and of preparation. For Western Catholic and Protestant Christians, the season of Advent doesn't start until the fourth Sunday before Christmas. But for me, an Eastern Orthodox Christian, Advent - also know as the "Nativity Fast" - begins on November 15th every year, lasting 40 days.In helping to mark off the anticipated days leading up to Christmas, many families enjoy using Advent Wreaths with candles and Advent Calendars with little windows to open (look for my Advent Calendar GIVE-AWAY here or at the end of this post). Give-away over 11/15/12
Some devotional books you might consider using during your Advent Countdown...
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A daily prayer and activity book for families
during Advent. Link here (right click) |
Make an Advent Calendar of Christmas Books:
I'd like to share some ideas for incorporating beautiful Christmas picture books into your family traditions during this time of anticipation. It takes a little planning, but it's worth the forethought and effort...
1- You need to determine how many books you need - this will depend on how many days leading up to Christmas you'd like to do this activity (i.e. during all of Advent, during the month of December, or just the last two weeks leading up to Christmas).
2- Choose the books. Gather Christmas books you already have (add some library books if you don't have enough of your own - just be sure to label and read the ones from the library first, so they won't be overdue). This is also a nice way to start collecting Christmas picture books - buy a few a year to add in! Click here for my Christmas Book Resource Page, if you need book recommendations.
3- Wrap the chosen books in Christmas paper and number each book according to which day you want your child to open and read each one. [If you're very ambitious, you could number envelopes to adhere to the books. Inside you would put a card with either an Advent activity, craft, or bible reading written on it. Refer to the 3 books I mentioned at the beginning of this post for ideas. Or - look here for Christmas crafts from Crafty Crow, and here for Orthodox readings for 40 Days of Advent].
4- Put the wrapped, numbered books in a special place...Some families put them in a basket by the fireplace, ready for a book to be chosen and read each night.
You might want to put them under the Christmas tree - opening and reading the last one on Christmas Eve and replacing with presents for Christmas morning...
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| source: babyjaynes (right click to open new window) |
You could line them across your fireplace mantel...
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| This ambitious idea is from Babycinno (right click) |
Or on bookcase shelves...
Whatever you choose, have fun. And don't miss MY ADVENT GIVEAWAY 2012: An Advent Calendar with artwork by Ruth Sanderson from Monastery Greetings. Leave a comment on this post and go HERE for details. HOW TO ENTER: Giveaway over 11/15/12 - Congratulations to Marianthy (mom2eleni)!
1- Leave a comment here or on any of my blogs posted from November 12, 2012 through November 14, 2012.
2- "Like" or comment on this post (or any others I post from 11/12-14/12) on Facebook. 3- Share this post from my Facebook page to yours, to enter your name in the drawing twice.
Lord Jesus, You have come so many times to us and found no resting place. Forgive us for our over-crowded lives, our vain haste, and our preoccupation with self. Come again, O Lord, and though our hearts are a jumble of voices, and our minds overlaid with many fears, find a place however humble, where You can begin to work Your wonder as you create peace and joy within us. If in some hidden corner, in some out-of-the-way spot, we can clear away the clutter, and shut out the noise and darkness, come be born again in us, and we shall kneel in perfect peace with the wisest and humblest of men.
by Lisa T. Bergren
, by Tomie DePaola
by Dr. Suess
? by Joseph Slate
by Astrid Lindgren
by Allan Ahlberg
by Joan Steiner
by Jan Brett
by Jean De Brunhoff
by Astrid Lindgren
by Ezra Jack Keats
by Susan Jeffers
by Julie Stiegemeyer
By Richard Scarry
by Walter Wick
by John Herman, Diane Dillon, Leo Dillon
by Patricia Polacco
by J.R.R. Tolkien
, Niroot Puutapipat
by Harold Myra
by Demi
by Nola Buck
, by Isabel Wilner
, by O. Henry, illustrations Lizbeth Zwerger
by Barbara Robinson
; 
by Jan Pienkowski
by Ruth Robbins
by Tomie DePaola
by Julie Stiegemeyer
by Gloria Whelan
by Gennady Spirin
(Children's version) by Frank MCourt
by Ruth Sanderson
by Peter Spier
by M.J. Hummel
By Niko Chocheli